The West Bengal government onWednesday launched a scheme to utilise 50,000 acres of barren land in six districts for income-generating activities like horticulture and pisciculture.Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said her government had been working on the 'Matir Smristi' scheme, which will benefit around 2.5 lakh people in rural Bengal."There is at least 50,000 acre of barren land in Bankura, Birbhum, Purulia, Jhargram, West Burdwan and West Midnapore districts, which cannot produce anything naturally nor can the farmers cultivate on the strip. We have decided to use this for horticulture and pisciculture involving the locals," Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat."Work has been initiated in 6,500 acre of land at the micro level. This is an environment-friendly scheme," she added.Farmers will be involved in constituting cooperative societies, which will get financial support from the cooperative banks, the chief minister said.Preference would be given to locals for carrying out the project in which "lakhs of women self-help groups" will be involved, Banerjee said.She also announced the grant of ad hoc bonus and festival advance for 2020-21.The state government will provide ad hoc bonus of Rs 4,200 for 2020-21, an increase of Rs 200 over the last year's figure, the CM said, adding, the salary ceiling for eligibility has been increased from Rs 30,000 to Rs 34,250.The festival advance is raised from Rs 8,000 in 2019- 20 to Rs 10,000 and the salary ceiling for eligibility from Rs 34,250 to Rs 41,100, Banerjee said."This increase in bonus and festival advance, and also the eligibility will benefit over 10 lakh government employees and employees of panchayat and municipal bodies, university and school staff... The total financial implication will be about Rs 400 crore," she said.
